Population-based studies suggest that seizure incidence is
highest during the first year of life, and early-life seizures frequently
result in the development of epilepsy and behavioral alterations later in life.
The early-life insults like status epilepticus often lead to epileptogenesis, a
process in which initial brain injury triggers cascades of molecular, cellular,
and network changes and eventually spontaneous seizures.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester is an active component of
propolis obtained from honeybees and has neuroprotective properties. The aim of
this study was to investigate whether caffeic acid phenethyl ester exerts
neuroprotective effects on the developing rat brain after status epilepticus.
Twenty-one dams reared Wistar male rats, and 21-day-old rats were divided into
three groups: control group, pentylenetetrazole-induced status epilepticus
group, and caffeic acid phenethyl ester-treated group. Status epilepticus was
induced on the first day of experiment. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester injections
(30mg/kg intraperitoneally) started 40min after the tonic phase of status
epilepticus was reached, and the injections of caffeic acid phenethyl ester
were repeated over 5days. Rats were sacrificed, and brain tissues were
collected on the 5th day of experiment after the last injection of caffeic acid
phenethyl ester. Apoptotic cell death was evaluated.

Histopathological examination showed that caffeic acid
phenethyl ester significantly preserved the number of neurons in the CA1, CA3,
and dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. It also
diminished apoptosis in the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex.

In conclusion, this experimental study suggests that caffeic
acid phenethyl ester administration may be neuroprotective in status
epilepticus in the developing rat brain.